The 10 worst movies of 2012

1. &#8220;Battleship&#8221; &#8211; This was a particularly bad year for up-and-comer Taylor Kitsch, who parlayed a sexy turn as a football player on TV's &#8220;Friday Night Lights&#8221; into two coveted spots on this dubious list of turkeys (he also starred in No. 4). I don't know how you felt about Oliver Stone's &#8220;Savages,&#8221; but Taylor starred in that one as well. He almost got the hat trick.ILM/UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Between now and Jan. 10, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces its Oscar nominees, you will be subjected to endless speculation from legitimate film critics and blogging hacks alike as to which film is the front runner for the best picture Oscar.

Is it "Lincoln?"

Is it "Zero Dark Thirty?"

Is it "Argo?"

Is it "Les Misérables?"

Is it "Silver Linings Playbook?"

Is it "Amour?"

Is it "Life of Pi?"

Is it "Django Unchained?"

Is it "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?"

Trust me, the front runner will change more times than you can count because Oscar prognosticating has become a cottage industry in Hollywood, and too many journalists and pseudo-journalists justify their existence by trying to convince you that they have inside information on the Oscars race.

1. “Battleship” – This was a particularly bad year for up-and-comer Taylor Kitsch, who parlayed a sexy turn as a football player on TV's “Friday Night Lights” into two coveted spots on this dubious list of turkeys (he also starred in No. 4). I don't know how you felt about Oliver Stone's “Savages,” but Taylor starred in that one as well. He almost got the hat trick. ILM/UNIVERSAL PICTURES
2. “What to Expect When You're Expecting” – Based on a best-selling pregnancy guidebook. Let me repeat that: It was based on a best-selling pregnancy guidebook. That is not exactly the greatest source material for a movie. And, sure enough, it was about as much fun to experience as labor pains. MELISSA MOSELEY, LIONSGATE
3. “That's My Boy” – This is the obligatory Adam Sandler submission for worst movie of the year honors. He dragged Andy Samberg down with him on this one, although the Sandler look-alike went down willingly. Compared to this film, “Billy Madison” looks like “Casablanca.” TRACY BENNETT, COLUMBIA PICTURES - SONY
4. “John Carter” – Disney had high hopes for what they expected to be the start of a lucrative franchise. Made for $250 million, directed by Pixar genius Andrew Stanton and based on a story by “Tarzan” creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, how could it miss? It missed. DISNEY
5. “Mirror Mirror” – Julia Roberts was perfectly cast as the evil queen, but the best part of this movie was Snow White, played by singer Phil Collins' beautiful daughter Lily. This was the first of two bad Snow White movies in 2012. Kristen Stewart starred in the other, “Snow White and the Huntsman.” JAN THIJS, RELATIVITY MEDIA
6. “Wrath of the Titans” – Liam Neeson, what were you thinking? Ralph Fiennes, what were you thinking? Sam Worthington, what were you thinking? Perhaps, you guys were thinking of a fat paycheck? WARNER BROS. AND LEGENDARY PICTURES
7. “The Three Stooges” – Peter and Bobby Farrelly should be ashamed. Several old guys came up to me and said they didn't think it was as bad as people were saying. Hey, there's a testimonial worth putting in a movie ad. “It's not as bad as people are saying.” PETER IOVINO, 20TH CENTURY FOX
8. “Dredd 3D” – It was a dreadful comic-book movie in 1995. It was even more dreadful in 2012 because they made it in 3D and charged an extra fee for the privilege. The futuristic plot features a reality-altering drug called “Slo-Mo.” That's how it felt while I was watching it – like my life was passing by in slow motion. ILZE KITSHOFF, LIONSGATE
9. “Cloud Atlas” – Three directors, two-thirds of whom made “The Matrix,” couldn't make sense of this wandering story that featured Tom Hanks and Halle Berry each playing six characters. It was not six times more entertaining. JAY MAIDMENT, WARNER BROS. PICTURES
10. “The Dictator” – We keep hoping for a repeat of the “Borat” magic, but we keep getting repeats of the “Brüno” nightmare. For some reason, audiences weren't interested in terrorist gags. PARAMOUNT PICTURES

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